Welcome to the start of a new school year. For the first episode of the year we spoke with Sarah DeFeo. This interview was recorded near the end of last year and we thought it would be a great way to start this year. Sarah teaches at White Street Elementary School and has been there for the last eight years. Sarah came to teaching 2nd grade as a career change. Throughout the interview we discussed how technology has been used…
We here at the SPS Digital Learning Hour love to spotlight teachers and this week’s episode is no different. I met Desiree Robinson from Glenwood Elementary. Desiree is a true homegrown teacher here in Springfield. You can hear her love for the city of Springfield in the way she talks about her job. She is a shining example of how you can go from being a para-educator to a teacher to a Math Instructional Leader. Her experience spans Kindergarten all…
Here at the SPS Digital Learning Hour we are excited to bring you this week’s episode featuring Kathryn Runyan from White Street Elementary. Having taught various grade levels throughout the last 22 years, Kathryn has used a wide variety of technology tools that we get into in this episode. Back in 2002 schools were still using floppy discs!!!! Throughout this episode we learn about what technology was like back in 2002 in the classroom (hint: there wasn’t as much as…
After last week’s post, you may be asking yourself “What’s the Difference Between Sway and PowerPoint” or “Why Should I Use Sway?” These are valid questions that I hope to clear up today. A quick recap: Sway is a presentation creation tool from Microsoft and PowerPoint is the most popular presentation creation software that we have used since the dawn of creation. (Kidding, I think it was created in 1987. So, it’s a little younger than me.) PowerPoint has a…
Here at the SPS Digital Learning Hour we are excited to bring you this week’s episode featuring KatieAnne DeMars from Springfield Virtual School. Having taught various grade levels throughout the last 22 years, which included time as a School Administrator KatieAnne brings a wealth of knowledge to Springfield’s Newest School. Throughout this episode we learn about what technology was like back in 2000 in the classroom (hint: there wasn’t as much as you would think). You can also hear how,…
If you have been to any of my Microsoft trainings over the last few years, discussed Office 365 with me, or noticed on your own, you might have seen a program in Office 365 called Sway. Sway Sway is an awesome way to do reports, presentations, personal stories and so much more. Once you have the content prepped, you could create a Sway presentation in minutes. When I first learned how to use Sway, I created a Biography/Resume Sway. You…
When it comes to interviews I hit the jackpot. I met with NJ Rivilis from the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts. NJ is a new teacher to our district, but I think that we are the lucky ones. As an Electrical Engineer Graduate, NJ has an interesting path to the classroom. NJ has a lot of experience outside of the classroom working at Mass General in a research role and now they are in the classroom. I can’t wait for you…
This is a question I get all the time here in our district. Over the last couple of years schools had moved away from Discovery Education and that funding went to this amazing program. Let’s take a look. What is Nearpod? To start off with, Nearpod is a website and app-based digital tool that lets teachers use interactive learning resources based off a slide format (think PowerPoint with engagement). Nearpod has a massive collection of prepared lessons. Last time I…
This is the final week for our series on Computer Science in Middle School. In the previous weeks we heard from principals and teachers, this week we will hear from their students. I met with students from Zanetti, Kiley Prep and STEM Academy. Listen to these students’ experiences as they discuss their favorite parts of computer science in their classrooms. These students are just a small representative of the students who are loving Computer Science in their schools. If you…
Year after year, Microsoft continues to make improvements and innovation. A few years ago, Microsoft created Immersive Reader and it was a hit. This tool had it all: a read aloud aspect, the ability to show parts of speech, a picture dictionary, translation into 60+ languages. You could also change font size, use a line reader, split up syllables, change background color. I could go on about this free tool that’s available in so many other great programs. You could…